In spite of the fact that Facebook has changed rather drastically in recent years to cater to businesses, it still remains a social space for most individual users. When you’re managing your veterinary Facebook Page, remember that pet owners come to Facebook for different reasons than they might visit your website or phone your clinic.
Facebook relationships are just plain different. And they can be tricky to navigate as a veterinary practice.
Think about it. You’re connecting with clients and prospects on a very social level. This means you have to avoid advertising to them too much. But when you share content that’s “fluffier” by nature, you feel like you aren’t using Facebook properly or seriously.
Can you relate?
There is a balance. There is a way to entertain, engage, and sell your practice to your followers without being overly self-promotional. As you grow more active on your veterinary Facebook page, you’ll discover ways to connect with your clients and local pet owners that work.
In the meantime, here are some simple ways that you can be fun on Facebook while still serving the objectives of your veterinary practice marketing:
#1. Post patient photos (with permission)
Many people like to share photos of animals on the Internet, so why not join the party? Just make sure that the pet photos you’re posting regularly include your practice’s patients, and that you’re getting permission to post those photos. Include a name and a short story for each of the pets you feature–what did they visit your clinic for? What quirks or unique traits do they have?
The Fun Factor: Everyone loves to gawk at photos of pets- the cute, the funny, the spunky and the hyper!
The Veterinary Marketing Edge: The personal details you share about your pet patients give people an emotional connection to the photo –and in some cases, to your practice. You’re displaying your love of pets and conveying how important they are to your veterinary team in a fun, simple way.
#2. Share videos (and your two cents about them)
People love to watch videos – in fact, videos earn a much higher click-through rate than other types of content. And Facebook is promoting video over other types of content, so videos show up before other posts in people’s Newsfeeds. So why not take advantage of this and share videos on your Page?
The Fun Factor: Videos are engaging and require little work on behalf of the Facebook user.
The Veterinary Marketing Edge: Adding your own commentary when you post the video can invite a call to action. For example, if you’re sharing a funny or cute clip about kittens, you might post it with: “Love cats? So do we! Come visit us to get your kitten vaccinations.”
#3. Take pet owner polls
People can’t resist sharing their pet peeves, advice, or quick opinions- so ask for them! Try something like, “What’s your least favorite pet-related chore?”
The Fun Factor: Polls and survey questions are interesting and simple to participate in. Just ask one at a time so that all your audience has to do is leave a comment, or choose from a multiple choice list.
The Veterinary Marketing Edge: Even a fun question like the example above can serve as a good segue into a related veterinary topic you can advise on. You might follow up a response with your professional advice, or with a link to a relevant blog post. For example, if a pet owner writes that (s)he hates cleaning his/her dog’s teeth, you might provide some tips for oral care.
 #4. Every so often, post for entertainment’s sake alone
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sharing a link or a photo that purely entertains. You just want to ensure that your veterinary Facebook page stays relevant to pets and pet care. If you find an amusing link that has nothing to do with animals, you may want to save it for your personal Facebook timeline instead.
The Fun Factor: A hilarious clip, viral meme, or amazing photo deserves sharing. These things are the stuff of social media–and they give people a perfect 5-minute break in their day.
The Veterinary Marketing Edge: If you have a fun and entertaining veterinary Facebook page, your fans are less likely to abandon or “unlike” it. Plus those sillier posts that have no agenda remind followers of your humanity and humor.Using fun in your veterinary  marketing is easy and even fun to implement! It keeps your followers engaged and interacting with your Facebook Page, and it’s a good indirect way to improve the performance of your social media marketing.
Having trouble finding fun and entertaining links to post on Facebook? Follow our Facebook Page for interesting facts, videos, and links that you can easily share with your followers.
